Hubbell Trading Post Cultural Landscape Report

ASSESSMENT OF RESOURCE INTEGRITY

By comparing the existing physical characteristics of a cultural resource to those of an historic period, one may evaluate that resource's integrity. "Integrity refers to the authenticity of the historic identity of a cultural resource, which is evidenced by the survival of physical characteristics from a historic period" (Firth, 1985).

The criteria established by the National Register of Historic Places have been used in assessing the landscape's integrity. These criteria include: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Firth has adapted these criteria to make them applicable for the evaluation of biotic cultural resources. His modified criteria replace design, materials, and workmanship with community organization, species composition, and management techniques. The integrity of the cultural landscape at Hubbell Trading Post has been assessed using all of the above criteria and it has been determined that the resource has retained its integrity, particularly in the areas of setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

The discussion which follows summarizes the evaluation of the resource using each of the criteria as they relate to the Hubbell landscape.

Location

The location of Hubbell's homesteaded property has not changed since Hubbell's purchase of the trading post operation in the late 1870's. The location of the trading post itself has changed as the original post was established approximately 40 feet to the north of the existing trading post and residential complex. At the time of Hubbell's purchase of the post, the land it was situated on was unsurveyed and unclaimed by any particular individual. It was simply adjacent to but not included within the boundaries of the Navajo Reservation. However, following the expansion of the reservation boundaries in the 1880's Hubbell found "his" land completely surrounded by reservation property.

The historic period boundaries of the 160 homestead tract that Hubbell eventually filed claim on are the existing boundaries of the park's landholding. The locations of the various historic period work and field areas have remained fairly constant over time. The field boundaries are established by the network of fences, roads, irrigation ditches and canals and the areas that functioned as the primary work areas including the trading post and residential compound are defined by various types of fencing and/or walls.

Any noted changes in the boundaries or specific locations of these cultural landscape resources have been identified and are minimal at most.

Setting

Several changes have occurred with regard to the setting that surrounds the Hubbell Trading Post landscape however it should be noted that internally the changes have been less obvious. The external changes are most evident in the vegetation patterns, changes in circulation systems, and increased densities in residential and commercial developments. Internally the changes are primarily affected by vegetation patterns.

By examining early historic photographs of the trading post one immediately notes the lack of vegetation over much of the surrounding land, particularly in the Pueblo Colorado Wash. Today the wash is characterized by a dense ribbon of introduced exotics such as salt cedar (Tamarisk chinensis) and Russian olive (Eleagnus angustifolia) which create a drastically different visual experience than that experienced by the Hubbell family and their customers to the post.

Changes to the area circulation system are primarily concentrated along Arizona State Highway 264 which has been widened and paved to allow for increased traffic flows through the reservation lands. Many of the historic roads in the vicinity continue to be classified as unimproved dirt roads and thereby retain much of the character and feel that they had historically.

Following the improvements along the highway and increased accessibility to and within the Ganado area there has been increased residential and commercial development. Historically, commercial developments on the reservation were limited to the widely scattered trading post operations while residential development was characterized by dispersed clusters of dwellings and other support structures of large extended families. Today there is a variety of service stations, markets, social service complexes (schools, post office, sewage treatment plant, etc.) and housing projects located throughout the area and several of these are visible from the Hubbell Trading Post property.

Internal views within the Hubbell landscape allow the visitor to reflect on and better understand the continuum of change that resulted from the Hubbell family's occupation of the site. The retention of the gravel entrance road and the compacted soil field roads as well as the primary parking area contribute strongly to the historical character of the setting for this vernacular landscape.

Design

The historic design of the core area of the Hubbell landscape was organic in nature and primarily driven by functional need. The core area may be defined as the trading post, trader's residence, and the barns and corrals. A review of comparative studies for various trading post operations reveals that this core area reflects the typical layout that is characteristic of late nineteenth and early twentieth century trading posts throughout the Navajo Reservation. [186] However, it seems that the earlier Leonard post that was later added to by J.L. Hubbell was most characteristic of the building styles found throughout the reservation lands. While the overall layout of Hubbell's later buildings might have been characteristic their scale and quality of construction was quite unique.

The design of the original trading post complex on site was very much in keeping with the Barney Williams ranch and post also located along the Pueblo Colorado. This property is described by Captain John G. Bourke during his visit to Navajo and Hopi country in 1881:

Mr. Williams ranch is of the Arizona order of architecture, — a single-storied, long, low building of "jacal" or palisade, filled with mud chinking, and roofed with a covering of earth and brush. [187]

This characteristic building design and overall site organization is is addressed by McNitt:

Regardless of structural materials and architecture (or lack of it), all trading posts on the interior were much alike. The heavy front door opened upon a smallish area commonly known as the bull-pen. This for the Indians was a milling-about place, a place to stand, lead, squat, or site while in the process of trade, sociability or reflection. Indians who sat in the bull-pen sat always upon the rough plank or dirt floor, since no trader encouraged native tendencies to linger by providing benches or chairs. At some place in the bull-pen, at the center or corner, there usually was an iron stove and woodbox.... Enclosing the bull-pen on three sides were wooden counters eight inches to one foot higher and wider than store counters found elsewhere.

Of the old traders, only Lorenzo Hubbell built with feeling or flair for structural materials and architecture.... Otherwise there is little to be said in criticism or praise of the outward appearance of the trading posts: unpretentious shelters of stone, wood, or adobe, they had the common grace, like beeweed and toadstools, of blending quietly into their surroundings. [188]

All traders maintained large corrals at the back or side of their posts for the sheep and horses brought in by Indians to sell....Just beyond the corrals were hay barns, always small and unpainted, in later years roofed with tin or corrugated iron....and somewhere close by, completing the group of buildings if this was Navajo country, was a guest hogan. [189]

While the Hubbell trading post at Ganado reflects many of these design characteristics his later architecture was noticeably different:

Lorenzo's Ganado and Chinle trading posts were in fact architecturally unique — both buildings (rather buildings at both places) far more massive and ambitious than attempted by any other trader, not excluding Thomas Keam. The Chinle building which I found in ruins not long before it was torn down and removed completely, in some ways was more impressive than the warehouse and outbuildings at Ganado - huge blocks of dark sandstone, enormous rooms, the whole affair 2 stories tall...I think it is relevant to recognize Don Lorenzo's flair for a quite unusual architecture. [190]

Robert's 1987 study addresses certain developmental characteristics or design changes that are somewhat typical of many of the trading posts on the Navajo Reservation and many of these apply to the Hubbell trading post at Ganado.

The stores have been increasingly rearranged into self-service units, the high counters have been removed or replaced by lower ones, and modern heating and cooling systems have been installed. Very little has changed in the external appearance of old posts. They are still to be recognized by their unmistakable architecture—square, rambling, with additions in various styles or materials, surrounded by corrals of weathered, gray cottonwood fences. ... But at all posts the sign, if one exists at all, is small. The gas pump is the single obvious distinguishing feature, often accompanied by a soft-drink-dispensing machine. [191]

The Hubbell trading post was modernized during the Hubbell family's ownership of the property to include a laundromat as well as a gas pump. These facilities were removed following the Park Service acquisition of the property. It is also interesting to note that J.L. Hubbell actively worked to make his trading post at Ganado the nucleus of the growing community. He leased land immediately adjacent to the post for the operation of a school which later served as the area Chapter House and he encouraged the establishment of the mission, boarding school, and clinic in the area.

The design of the other areas that comprise the Hubbell landscape, particularly the agricultural fields and associated irrigation system may be attributed to J.L. Hubbell and his creativity and political acumen. Hubbell's ability to file and hold claim to a 160 acre homestead as part of his trading post operation was most unique as was his success in initiating and having the U.S. government develop and fund a complex irrigation system on reservation lands to service his private homestead and a small number of Navajo farms. While the design and layout of the agricultural fields and gardens was also vernacular in nature, it should be noted that Hubbell was well read and kept abreast of the current ideas and technologies of the day with regard to agricultural development. It is also possible that traditional Navajo and Hopi farming practices or other outside influences such as Mormon agricultural traditions are reflected in the design of Hubbell's agricultural fields.

Additional research may reveal the true extent to which the design of the Hubbell landscape contributes to its overall integrity as a National Register property.

Materials

The Hubbell family made use of a variety of materials that were readily available to them including building stone, flagstone, and a variety of wood ranging from the juniper and pinon to the larger pines from Defiance Plateau to the east. They made their own adobe from soils collected on site. All of these materials are still quite evident in the buildings and structures found within the landscape.

As with most vernacular landscapes, little if any materials were wasted. Discarded objects ranging from bits and pieces of wood to wire and stone were simply stockpiled until needed for another project or repair to an existing feature. The continuous salvaging and reuse of materials is obvious wherever one looks as they explore the Hubbell landscape and contribute strongly to its overall character and "sense of place." This is especially evident in the area of the corrals and barn lot where the vertical post corrals and gates have been rigged and wired over and over again or in the agricultural fields where discarded tractor and truck engine parts as well as old bedsteads have been used to divert waters along the irrigation laterals.

The continued existence of the original historic materials used by the family and their farm workers contributes to the overall integrity of this landscape resource and care should continue to be taken to avoid "sanitizing" or "tidying up" the site to make it look like a "National Park property and subsequently eliminating one of its most fascinating characteristics.

Workmanship

The workmanship that went into the design, development, and construction of the numerous historic structures and buildings that make up the Hubbell landscape is still readily evident as are the original materials as discussed above. The sturdiness that characterizes many of these structures is reflective of the need for them to endure through years of use and minimize the need for repair. The irrigation headgates are a good example of this "build it to last" approach.

Hubbell hired both Navajo and Hispanic workers to labor on the construction of the various structures and buildings and the workmanship seen in these features today reflects many of their cultural traditions as well as those of the Hubbell family. The stone work found throughout the landscape is extremely well laid and with a few repairs over the years has been most durable as well as attractively finished.

In an effort to maintain the quality of the historic workmanship the park has often used locally available crews and talents to conduct preservation repairs in a like manner using like materials and this is a practice that should definitely be continued into the future. This recommendation is also provided in and supported by the numerous Historic Structures Reports, Historic Preservation Guides, and other similar studies that have been prepared over the past several years for the park's architectural resources.

Feeling and Association

Within the Hubbell landscape there are numerous features both physical and ephemeral that serve to evoke a sense of the past in visitors. These features range from the solitary lane that runs through the now abandoned fields with their rows of massive stone headgates to distant views of the corrals and the weathered stone and timber barn. A sense of the past can be easily attained when one notices the massive roots of an ancient cottonwood as they enclose one of the stone headgates in the long dry irrigation ditch. As visitor's explore the historic compound they are exposed to the breezes, sights, sounds, and smells of the trading post landscape. The continued presence of horses and chickens within the landscape contribute a great deal to the visitor's sensory experience: "the barn still smells like a barn...a mixture of sweaty tack, manure, and feed."

Because this was a working landscape it is essential to retain some of the agricultural flavor of the place and the chickens and horses do just that. Other historic associations that were critical to the operation and existence of this landscape involve the Navajo community and the trader. Their continued association with this landscape and its daily operation is essential because without them the very life of the place would be gone.

The Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is very unique in that its establishing legislation specifies that it is to continue to operate as a working trading operation and not become a "museum" of trading history. This determination has contributed to the continued life and overall significance of the site and is essential to the integrity of the landscape.

Other Criteria:

Community Organization

The integrity of the remaining criteria is somewhat difficult to evaluate with regard to this landscape. All of these criteria refer to the biotic characteristics of the historic landscape and with the abandonment of agriculture, the community organization has been severely modified. It should be noted that "modified" does not mean that the plant communities have merely reverted to what was there prior to agricultural clearing as there have been substantial changes in the overall community of plants and their placement in the now abandoned fields.

The proliferation of exotic tree species has been the most noticeable change in overall community organization, particularly with regard to Russian olive and salt cedar. The open character of the field areas continues to be evident but even these areas are in the process of infilling with large shrubby plant species as well as some opportunistic tree species such as elm and in some areas, juniper.

The existing community organization does not contribute to the historic integrity of the landscape, however future management actions involving vegetation control and rehabilitation may alter this.

Species Composition

The species composition has also been modified through time as several exotic invasive species have been introduced to the area and are eliminating many of the native species. This is not only happening within the agricultural areas but also along the washes and arroyos and in the barn lot and residential compound as well. In addition to the exotics that were introduced for erosion control, shade, or general aesthetics, the Hubbells actively cultivated a wide variety of fruit and nut trees, vegetables, and ornamental plantings. Several of these historic plant specimens survive today and definitely add to the integrity of the historic landscape. Several more are proposed for reintroduction through a rehabilitation approach that will be discussed in the following chapter.

Management Techniques

Currently there are few landscape management techniques being practiced on site that reflect the historic management of the Hubbell landscape. With the proposed reintroduction of agricultural practices will be the recommendation to follow some of the more character-defining management techniques that have been discontinued over the past several years. These will include the maintenance of the checks or terraces and the use of the irrigation laterals and their historic headgates to water these terraces versus a more modern irrigation method.

Because the Hubbell family had incorporated the use of mechanized equipment to facilitate their farming operations at Ganado, the use of modern equipment for the proposed rehabilitation is not seen as a conflict in management technologies. For the proposed rehabilitation to be successful it is understood that there must be some degree of flexibility in management operations. However, as stated above it is imperative that interpretation of the primary character-defining management technique for these farmlands be maintained — the check system of irrigation with its series of open laterals and headgates.